Authors: Robyn Neeley
Heading down the hill, a noise jolted Becca, and she took her foot off the accelerator for a second. Blue Baby had never made that sound before. She put her foot back on the gas, immediately feeling the loss in power.
Just great.
She’d filled her gas tank at the Whistle Stop only this morning, so that wasn’t the problem. This would be a good time for her check engine light to work, but that had gone out two years ago. She brought the truck to a safe stop along the side of the dirt road, turned the engine off, and jumped out, inspecting her tires with the light from her phone. As far as she could tell, she hadn’t blown a tire.
What do I do now?
Throwing her hands up, she leaned against the driver’s side door. If she walked back in the direction she came, she could probably get to her mom’s in an hour, but she wasn’t eager to do that in flip-flops and in the dark.
She sat back down in the driver’s seat and searched her phone for the town’s tow company. All of a sudden, lights flashed behind her, causing her pulse to race.
Crap. She was alone on a deserted road. This was always how those horrible horror flicks on cable started. She searched madly inside her purse for her Mace, clutching the blue bottle. Because she worked so many late nights at the factory, Chuck had gotten pepper spray for both her and Tangie and showed them how to use it, aiming for the eyes. God, she seriously hoped she wouldn’t be pulling the trigger. Her thumb touched the release button and her breath quickened.
The door of the car shut, its lights still bright and on her.
Don’t be scared. Don’t be scared.
Her grip tightened on the pepper spray.
“Becca, is that you?”
She recognized the voice immediately and sighed in enormous relief. “Grayson.” She held up her Mace.
“Whoa.” He shielded his face with his hands.
“I’m sorry.” She pulled her hand down and tossed the bottle back in her purse. “My truck died a few minutes ago. I was about to call a tow.”
“What are you doing up here?”
“Visiting my mother.”
“Mind if I take a look?” It was hard to see him in the dark, but she could make out that he was dressed casually in jeans and a black button-down shirt. She inhaled his fresh musky scent as he passed her.
“Sure, although I’m sure my Blue Baby is nothing like your Mercedes.”
“Blue Baby.” He seemed amused by the pet name she’d given her truck. “I know a few things about trucks. My dad always drove one and so does Gavin. Pop the hood.”
“Right.” She bent down and yanked up on the lever.
“I bet it’s your transmission,” he said after a few minutes, shutting the hood. “I can give you a lift.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary. I’ll just call for a tow.”
“Like I’m going to abandon my company’s primary shareholder on a dirt road in the middle of the night.” He came up beside her.
“Is that to say that if I didn’t have the shares, you would leave?”
He grinned at her flippant question. “Of course not. Come on. I have to stop at Gage and Charlotte’s and feed their cat. We can wait there until the tow service comes. It’ll only take me a minute to bring you back once they get here.”
Was it really a good idea to go anywhere alone with Grayson? Coop’s advice to tell the guy she liked how she felt rang in her head. There was no way that was happening tonight.
Still, she’d rather be anywhere than stranded alone along the side of the road in the dark. Who knew how long the tow service would take? “Okay.” She grabbed her purse and locked her door.
Walking over to the passenger side of his Mercedes, she opened the door and got in. The soft black leather interior was a gigantic step up from the worn fabric seats in her truck that were dotted with coffee stains. She buckled her seat belt. “Nice car.”
“I like it.” He hit the gas and shifted gears. “I’m sure it has nothing on Old Blue.”
“Blue Baby,” she corrected.
“Right. Do you think Blue Baby might actually be reaching retirement?”
“Probably, but I love that truck. It was my first purchase.” She sighed, highly doubting this Mercedes was Grayson’s first car, or even his second.
“Gage and Charlotte’s house is just down the road. They went to Houston overnight. Good thing I forgot to come this morning to feed the cat, or I might not have been your knight in shining armor.”
She glanced over at him. “I don’t need a knight.”
“Don’t I know it.” He shifted his stick into third. “Not when you have pepper spray at the ready.”
She laughed sarcastically, imagining Grayson sprawled out on the ground, shielding his eyes. “You’re just lucky I’d recognize your voice anywhere.”
Oh, Becca. Why did you have to go and say that?
More than embarrassed, she turned her head toward the passenger window.
Why don’t I just tell him I want to tear off his clothes while I’m at it?
Grayson made a couple of turns and in no time pulled into the paved driveway. “Welcome to the Gage and Charlotte homestead.”
Becca tried to shake off the bad memory. It
was
fifteen years ago, after all. “Do they have plans to live here full-time?”
“Yeah. Well, eventually. They come down for weekends with their cat. Apparently, they went on some day trip, but they should be back tonight.” He parked the car and they both got out. “Gage will kick my ass if he finds out that I forgot to feed Oil Slick. He loves that critter.”
Becca walked along the paved driveway onto a pebbled path leading to the front of the house. “So, this is what Jack left to Charlotte?” she asked, already knowing the answer. The town had not only been abuzz about her inheritance but it had broadcasted Charlotte’s and Macy’s, as well.
“Yep. The house and all the land.” That got a laugh that had more than a little sarcasm weaved into it. “Guess he thought Charlotte would have preferred an old house and a few acres of land over running an entire company. Lucky for Gage.”
“Lucky, indeed,” she muttered and stepped up to the porch. Was he suggesting he wished Charlotte had gotten the Guac Olé shares or that she’d been chosen for him instead of Gage? Probably both. Charlotte was beautiful and a businesswoman. Not like Becca, who’d bought a suit two days ago and rehearsed all morning for Monday’s meeting yet still wasn’t ready.
He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a key chain, unlocked the front door, and flipped on the foyer light.
She stepped in, her gaze resting on the beautifully stained wooden staircase that spiraled to the second floor. The house was both modern and homey. “It’s gorgeous,” she said, admiring a lovely arrangement of colorful lilies.
“They like it here. They’ve done quite a bit of remodeling this summer. Can I get you something to drink?” He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen. “My brother always has a stocked fridge, and I bet I can scrounge us up something to snack on, too. What would you like—beer, soda?”
“Beer would be great,” she said, taking in every feature of the modern kitchen. With its yellow walls, hanging pots and pans, and huge granite-top kitchen island, it definitely felt more used than just the weekends.
While she pulled out her phone and found the number for a tow service that, admittedly, she kept on speed-dial due to Blue Baby’s age, Grayson popped open two beer bottles and reached back into the refrigerator, holding up a small round container. “Bingo.” He opened the lid and grabbed a bag of chips from the counter. “Although it’s not guacamole.”
She made her call and then took the beer he offered. “They said it would be over an hour.”
“That long?”
“Yeah.” She motioned for the door. “You know, I don’t want to inconvenience you any more than I have. If I could get a lift back to my truck, I can wait for them there.”
“With your Mace.” He smiled. “I think it’s my duty to protect the next poor schmuck who innocently pulls up to offer assistance.” He opened a couple of cabinets until he found what he was looking for, pulling a glass bowl down and filling it with the chips. “Plus”—he held up the dip container—“if you leave, how do I know that you won’t run to town and spread the gossip that I was eating anything but guacamole?”
“I can understand your dilemma.”
“Take one for the team—hang out with the CEO.”
“I suppose I could this once.” She rather enjoyed the silly banter they had going on. The last time they’d joked like this, it had led to his lips on hers. She took a long sip of her beer and reached over and grabbed a chip, swirling it in the creamy white dip and then handing it over. “How about we call an avocado truce for tonight?”
“I’d like that.” He took the chip and his eyes locked with hers. For some reason she felt he was talking about more than food. He broke contact, popped the chip in mouth, and picked up the bowl and dip. “Let’s go outside. It’s so nice tonight we can sit on the porch. Can you grab my drink?”
“Lead the way.” She picked up his beer with her free hand, and they headed back through the foyer and onto the dimly lit porch.
“My dad built this deck years ago. It wraps around, and the best view is over here,” Grayson said.
Wow. He was right. From where they were, she could easily see the twinkling lights of Sweet Ridge below. Her gaze zoomed in on the area where she lived in her tiny apartment. How weird it was to be looking at it from this vantage point with arguably one of the wealthiest men in town.
She took a seat on a white wicker porch swing. “This view’s incredible, Grayson.”
“Isn’t it?” Grayson sat next to her, setting the chip bowl and dip between them. “We never really hung out here as kids, but Dad let me have my graduation party on the lawn since our backyard wasn’t ideal for more than two hundred people. Man, that was a freakin’ awesome time.”
Becca smiled politely. Of course, he would have good memories of it. “You know, I was actually at that event.”
Grayson turned to face her, his eyebrows now furrowed. “You were? Who’d you come with?”
“I was one of the catering staff.” She sighed. “That is, until I spilled punch on your girlfriend. My boss fired me on the spot.”
His hand went to his mouth and he lowered it. “Shit. I remember that. You had your hair back in a dark braid. I’m sorry.”
She smiled again, this time meaning it. “I’m not holding that against you. Truth be told, I was never good at balancing trays with lots of drinks. I practiced at Betty Lou’s for days after. You probably did me a favor. Now, my mother’s forgiveness, I don’t know … you may have to apologize to her.”
“She still remembers that?”
Becca nodded. Apparently some painful memories were still easily conjured. “I’m not sure what exactly she remembers.”
“Well, I will definitely apologize.” He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry that stupid teenager was an asshole.”
Her skin tingled from his touch. Maybe it was time to change the subject. “Thanks for helping me tonight. I couldn’t have—”
Thump!
The wicker swing vibrated and a black furry mass brushed her arm before tiny claws scraped her jeans. The kitten leapt over the bowl of chips and onto Grayson.
“I was wondering if you would make an appearance.” Grayson patted the cat’s tiny head. “Becca, meet Oil Slick. O.S., get used to seeing Becca’s face.”
She gulped. Was he implying they would be spending more time together here? An image of her sitting next to Grayson enjoying Christmas dinner with his brothers and their wives popped into her head.
“Her face is going to be all over Guac Olé soon.”
Okay. Obviously he didn’t mean that he would be inviting her back up here for holiday meals or any other type of family gathering. A little disappointed, Becca drank her beer and listened to the peaceful, lyrical sounds of the crickets that sang in the background. “It’s really relaxing here.”
“It sure is,” he agreed and took a pull of his beer, rubbing Oil Slick’s back.
So, your dad gave all of this to Charlotte?”
“Yeah. Every acre. I’m sure deep down it’s killing my brother that he’ll never get to drill here, even if he won’t admit it.” He lowered his beer bottle. “What we do for love.”
The back of her neck began to heat. Did Grayson even know what it was like to be in love? She still didn’t know if he’d gone to Cancun with Meg or another woman for that matter. She snatched a chip and swirled it in the ranch dip he’d placed between them. “How long has this house been here?”
Grayson leaned back. “My dad bought it in the seventies, years before having us boys, but we never moved up here. I don’t know if it was because my mom preferred to live in town.”
“Do you know who lived here back then?”
“No clue, but it’s been vacant since my dad bought it. Before I bought my condo I thought about asking Dad for it, but living out here isn’t quite my speed.” He scooped up the cat and set it down on the porch.
“It’s really been empty this entire time?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why my dad kept it all those years. Never mind the taxes, he had to hire staff to take care of the house and grounds. Why so curious?”
“Oh, nothing.” At least it was probably nothing. She pointed in the direction of the assisted living center. “My mom lives just over that hill now. I was visiting her today, and she got a little upset when we drove by. I thought maybe she knew one of the former residents, but if there weren’t any, it must have been something else.”
“I didn’t realize there were any other homes over the hill. Does your mom have land?”
“Oh no.” Becca shook her head. “It’s the Ridgemont Assisted Living Center. I moved her in there this summer.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“How do you know about that? Did Scott from the Silver Spurs tell you?”
“No, it was Coop, actually. He just mentioned that you take your mom your guacamole.”
“Yeah, every Sunday.”
“Is she okay?” He swung his arm around the back of the swing.
“Yes, she’s actually doing great.” She leaned back and his hand brushed her shoulder for a brief moment before he moved it away.
“That’s good. It’s funny how we switch roles and become the caregivers.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t have more time with your father,” she said.